News Release: NHSCFA helps recover £97K under POCA from NHS fraudster Jon Andrewes

Convicted NHS fraudster Jon Andrewes has been ordered to pay back over £96,000, to be split between a hospice and the NHS, following successful financial recovery action by the NHS Counter Fraud Authority.

On Thursday 26th July, Jon Andrewes (64) of Flood Street, Stoke Gabriel, Totnes, was ordered to pay back £96,737.24 under the Proceeds of Crime Act at Exeter Crown Court. If he does not do so within three months, he may be required to serve a further jail sentence.

Andrewes was previously sentenced to two years' imprisonment in 2017 as a result of a detailed investigation by the Department of Health and Social Care. Andrewes had falsified his qualifications and work history to secure a number of senior NHS positions over a ten year period. The Department asked NHSCFA to support it with the financial recovery phase of its operation.

NHSCFA Financial Investigations Specialist Will Straiton identified Andrewes’ assets for potential confiscation, including a Dutch barge in Amsterdam, and took considerable effort to trace money after Andrewes’ sale of a property in 2016.

Recorder Martin Meeke QC threw out Andrewes' claim that he was entitled to keep the pay because of his work performance. He determined that the total value of Andrewes’ current available assets was £96,737.24, and that this amount must be repaid to St. Margaret’s Hospice and two NHS trusts.

The assets he must sell include his half share in the Dutch barge, a Mercedes car, two pension plans and premium bonds.

Richard Rippin, Head of Operations, NHS Counter Fraud Authority said:

“It is vitally important that all available assets are recovered when someone deliberately sets out to defraud the NHS for their personal gain, and that money is returned to provide the patient care for which it was originally intended. This action sends a clear message that the NHSCFA is committed to pursuing those who exploit public funds for their own benefit.”

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “It is absolutely right that anyone seeking to exploit our NHS for financial gain faces the full weight of law. The money that Mr. Andrewes has been ordered to pay back will rightly be re-invested into caring for patients at the organisations he deceived.”

If you suspect that anyone is committing fraud or another economic crime against the NHS, tell NHSCFA about it - you can call our 24-hour, confidential reporting line 0800 028 40 60 or report online at: www.cfa.nhs.uk/reportfraud

"NHS fraud. Spot it, report it, together we stop it"

For more information contact James Robertson or Rianne Endeley-Brown at the NHSCFA press office on 020 7895 4524/4523.

Notes to Editors

1. The Department of Health and Social Care has a dedicated anti-fraud team who will be part of the government’s counter-fraud profession. The unit investigates cases of alleged fraud and corruption and also works to set overall counter fraud strategy and policy.
2. The Department asked for NHSCFA’s assistance to assist with financial recovery aspects of its operation.
3. The recovered assets will be split as follows:
   St Margaret's Hospice - 87% = £84,161.39
   Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust - 9.5% = £9,190.04
   Royal Cornwall Hospital - 3.5% = £3,385.81
4. NHS Counter Fraud Authority is a Special Health Authority established under the NHS Act 2006 as amended.
5. When NHSCFA uses the term ‘fraud’, we refer to a range of economic crimes, such as fraud, bribery, corruption or any other illegal acts committed by an individual or group of individuals to obtain a financial or professional gain.
6. NHSCFA will also support the work of the NHS Counter Fraud Service (Wales).
7. NHSCFA will work closely with NHS Local Counter Fraud Specialists across the NHS in England to ensure that healthcare crime is tackled and a culture of fraud prevention and deterrence is in place.
8. There are some 300 professionally trained and accredited Local Counter Fraud Specialists in place within health bodies across England and Wales.